Is This A Thing? Yes, It Is- Chickpea Salad

So, over the summer I remember searching for something quick and easy and summery. I also remember kind of wanting some egg salad which not only smells but eggs make me pretty nauseous now that I haven't been eating them on a semi-regular basis. I remember I used to eat eggs all the time especially Saturday mornings growing up, but as I grew into my 20s I stopped eating them as much, started eating them again because I had it in my head it was a good breakfast, and then stopped eating breakfast all together or moved on to cereal.  And this cycle has happened roughly every year since I was about 21. Now, I don't really eat eggs mostly because I just don't want them, but every once in a while I do have a hankering for some egg salad. 
So anyway, I found this recipe a while back and never made it until recently, and let me tell you, it's pretty good.

 I do admit, I feel sometimes like I'm no longer an amateur at this vegan thing, but the truth is I am, and there are plenty of people out there scoffing at me because I'm such a newbie I didn't even know about mashing some chickpeas and throwing it on a sandwich. 8-year vegetarians are laughing at me right now: "Ha! You think you know everything now, don't you?!" Nope. I felt pretty silly when I saw this on The PPK and thought it was revolutionary, meanwhile you guys have been doing this all along.

I made mine with two cans of chickpeas because John was going to be home for lunch, and it's inevitable that my 3 year old daughter has to share all food with us. I added a heaping tablespoon (the one you eat with, not an actual measuring spoon tablespoon) of roasted garlic Vegenaise, some celery, some carrot, salt pepper, turmeric, coriander and a little ground mustard. Turmeric makes a tofu scramble taste and look "eggy" so that's why I used that. Ground mustard I really like in egg salad, so I threw that in and coriander I just like to toss into stuff because it gives some stuff sort of a fresh taste, much like cilantro (which I LOVE, but coriander is great when you don't have a fresh bunch of cilantro hanging around).

Chickpeas tend to taste a bit dry to me, so that's why I used tomato slices on my sandwich, not because it's traditional or because the recipe recommends it.

Chickpea Salad

• 1 can garbanzo beans(chickpeas), drained and rinsed thoroughly
• 1 heaping tablespoon Vegenaise
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. ground mustard
• salt & pepper

Mash chickpeas with a potato masher, or a fork. Add all ingredients and mix together, like you would tuna or egg salad. Serve on a sandwich, or as a dip with crackers, or even as a salad by itself or over lettuce.